This species is rare. It inhabits inland wetlands and grasslands of semi-arid hilly areas, from the sea level up to 4,700m. It is migratory, breeding in Austria, Armenia, Iran, Russia and Romania, and wintering in Greece, Hungary, India, Ethiopia, Israel and Libya. This species has undergone possible extirpation from Turkmenistan and Germany (BirdLife International 2017).

This species is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).


According to the IUCN Red List Assessment, the population of this species is declining, with the current population size estimated at 12,000-29,800 individuals. The threat to its persistence comes from habitat disturbance due to agriculture, electrocution on power lines and falconry (BirdLife International 2017).